411’s Instant Access: WWE Extreme Rules 2011

Hey kids, I’m Scott, and this is 411’s Instant Access: WWE Extreme Rules 2011. Instant Access is the companion piece to 411 Live Pay-Per-View Coverage and features immediate reaction to wrestling pay-per-views. The focus in Instant Access is on first thoughts and initial reactions instead of play-by-play with the goal of providing you with instant access to one TWO writers’ thoughts on the show. That’s right, Instant Access will now feature multiple analysts for all WWE pay-per-views. Here’s the team for Extreme Rules:

• Scott Slimmer, author of Don’t Think Twice.
• Jack Bramma, author of Ring Crew Reviews.

Okay kids, enough with the explanations. Let’s get to the wrestling.

Last Man Standing Match
Randy Orton vs. CM Punk
Match Result: Randy Orton defeats CM Punk with a Super RKO from the top rope.
Match Length: 20:01
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: Orton and Punk put on a psychologically-sound by somewhat subdued match at WrestleMania XXVII, but tonight they absolutely went balls-to-the wall for twenty straight minutes. It’s true that the entire New Nexus storyline has essentially been a pointless bust, but that didn’t stop Orton and Punk from putting together a gem to end their rivalry. The spots were brutal from beginning to end, and it’s been quite some time since we’ve seen such a wide variety of weapons used in a WWE match. With Orton moving to Smackdown, it’s a safe bet to assume that this was the blow-off match for this feud. On some level it’s a shame that Punk was dominated at virtually every point in this feud, but I suppose that is understandable if you believe the rumors that he may not be with the promotion much longer. Of course, the other side of that argument is that WWE might be shooting themselves in the foot if they think they can persuade Punk to sign a new contract by jobbing him out at every opportunity. Anyway, with this feud over, Orton can ascend to a prominent position on Smackdown. However, with Christian becoming the new World Heavyweight Champion, it doesn’t seem like now is the right time for Orton to challenge for the title. I’d guess that he’s looking at a few months of a new upper mid-card feud before moving into title contention in time for SummerSlam. Over on Raw, Punk’s future (as well as the future of the New Nexus) will obviously depend on whether or not he signs a new contract. I have to believe that most of us would love to see Punk stay in WWE, but I also believe that we’d really only like him to stay if he’s allowed to find the kind of success that we believe he deserves.
Bramma: A match like this really shows how much PG has tamed the WWE for hardcore matches. However, Orton showed more in-match intensity (as opposed to just flailing around before the RKO) than he has shown in a while. Also, while I was skeptical of these guys ability to deliver in this stipulation, they came through with some stiff spots including a powerslam on the floor, G2S on the stairs, RKO on the table, and Pillmanizing with the chair.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ****
Bramma: ***¼
Average Match Rating: ***¾

Tables Match for the United States Championship
Sheamus (Champion) vs. Kofi Kingston
Match Result: Kofi Kingston defeats Sheamus with a super Boom Drop from the top turnbuckle through a table.
Match Length: 9:11
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: Impromptu matches on a PPV are usually a bad idea. The top tier talent in a promotion is usually already booked for a PPV match and thus unavailable for an impromptu match, and in most cases you’d like to see PPV matches used for feuds that have actually been built beforehand. However, every once in a great long while, an impromptu match can actually be good-to-great (and sometimes even steal the show, as was the case back at Armageddon 2006). This impromptu Tables Match didn’t quite steal the show, but it was damn good. I loved the fact that tables were set up all around the ring and table spots were teased multiple times before the big finish. Having so many tables already set up made the teases seem more natural and far less contrived. The finish may have been a bit predictable given the fact that Kofi is headed to Raw and Raw needed to regain one of the secondary titles, but that hardly diminished from the overall quality of the match. Sheamus had an outstanding 2010, and I hope he continues to find success on Smackdown. Kofi definitely lost momentum in 2010 after having a great 2009, but heading to Raw as the NEW United States Champion may signal the beginning of his ascendance back up the card.
Bramma: This match was thrown together and felt like it. Tables matches almost universally are underwhelming because the table spot is no longer even much of a high spot. Kofi avoiding the table in a couple of spots was nice, but in total this was an average match to an underwhelming title reign for Sheamus.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ***½
Bramma: **
Average Match Rating: **¾

Country Whipping Tag Team Match
Jerry “The King” Lawler & Jim Ross vs. Michael Cole & Jack Swagger
Match Result: Michael Cole defeats Jim Ross with a roll-up pin.
Match Length: 5:30
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: Okay, yes, this match sucked by all objective standards. It was slow, sloppy, generally pointless, and a complete waste of one legitimately talented wrestler. I can’t deny any of that. However, it was a TON OF FUN to watch Jim Ross beat the crap out of Michael Cole. For what it’s worth, I honestly think this was the best match of Jim Ross’ career. Between breaking his hand on Cole’s face on Raw and locking in the ankle lock tonight, JR has had a hell of week for a guy that was forced off of TV for not being well enough to even announce. Now then, with that being said, the one alarming aspect of this match is the Michael Cole won… again. The only natural conclusion to the Jerry Lawler / Michael Cole feud is for Cole to FINALLY get his ass handed to him, and so you have to assume that their feud will continue until that happens.
Bramma: The bubble wrap was funny, but holy shit will this ever end? We barely get any retribution after weeks of humiliation for the faces and the heels get a random roll up to continue this charade for another month.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: *½
Bramma: DUD
Average Match Rating: ¾*

Falls Count Anywhere Match
Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes
Match Result: Rey Mysterio defeats Cody Rhodes with the Green Mist / 619 / Springboard 619 combination.
Match Length: 11:42
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: The feud between Rey Mysterio and Cody Rhodes has allowed Rhodes to transform himself into one of the more interesting characters we’ve seen in WWE in many years, but what made this match especially interesting was that we began to see the theme of metamorphosis bleed over into Rey Mysterio’s character as well. Mysterio and Rhodes put together a perfectly fine Falls Count Anywhere match that made good use of the stipulation. However, by far the most interesting aspect of the match was the way that Mysterio added subtle bits of heel psychology to his offense. Much like Shawn Michaels did when he faced Mankind for the WWE Championship in 1996, Mysterio seemed to realize that his usual tactics wouldn’t be effective against someone as deranged as Cody Rhodes. Mysterio purposely exposed the knee brace that shattered Rhodes face all those months ago, and later he caught Rhodes off guard with mist to the eyes. I’m not sure I can see Mysterio going full heel as he moves to Raw, but I would love to see him add an edge to his otherwise squeaky clean character. I also hope that Cody Rhodes doesn’t lose steam now that his chief tormentor has moved to Raw. In fact, a move up the card for a feud between the newly demented Cody Rhodes and his former mentor Randy Orton could do wonders for Rhodes while keeping Orton busy until his eventual shot at the World Heavyweight Championship.
Bramma: Cody’s prematch promo calling everyone extremely ugly was a nice addition especially with Booker quipping to Josh Matthews, “I ain’t going to name any names, Josh, but he may be right.” This match was a nice change of pace by moving out of the ring and brawling up to the concourse including a badass Boston Crab wrapped around the handrail. There was some obvious moments of miscommunication headed back to the ring where Rey wanted to do something off the barricade or a seat and Cody wouldn’t turn around, but it didn’t detract too much. The inclusion of the green mist was unexpected and I’ll be interested to see if it’s just a random addition one time or will become a regular part of Mysterio’s offense.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ***½
Bramma: **½
Average Match Rating: ***

Loser Leaves WWE Match
Michelle McCool vs. Layla
Match Result: Layla defeats Michelle McCool with a crucifix pin.
Match Length: 5:07
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: I loved LayCool. I really did. They made me happy. I’m sorry to see them go, and on some level it sucks that they couldn’t get a truly epic sendoff. But hey, it’s the Divas Division in 2011, so what can you really expect, right? This match was short and forgettable, but its aftermath was definitely something to remember. KHARMA’s debut was just as impressive as we hoped it would be, and I give Michelle McCool a ton of credit for selling like a champ on her way out the door. It’s somewhat fitting that the end of the Diva stable that has defined the Divas Division for the last few years came on the same night that the Anti-Diva who could completely change the division finally debuted. My guess is that KHARMA will steamroll through the Divas Division before finally facing her first real challenge in Beth Phoenix at SummerSlam.
Bramma: I had no interest in this match. As far as I’m concerned, this was a heel-heel match and the WWE must have felt similarly because they had a backstage segment prematch where Layla was saying goodbye to the rest of the division to ratchet up sympathy for her and turn her face. That being said, they kept it short and were working harder than usual to get things over with some high impact moves.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: *¼
Bramma: *¼
Average Match Rating: *¼

Ladder Match for the World Heavyweight Championship
Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio
Match Result: Christian retrieves the World Heavyweight Championship to defeat Alberto Del Rio.
Match Length: 21:03
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: This was a good ladder match in and of itself, but this match will really be remembered for being that match that saw Christian FINALLY won a world title in WWE. Yes, he is a former NWA World Champion, but we all know that means virtually nothing in WWE. Christian has been a hard worker for years and has always managed to stay out of trouble. He’s the kind of guy that we root for because he’s the perpetual underdog that always had the talent to be something more. This is how we would have felt if Matt Hardy had won a world title instead of, you know, going completely bat-shit crazy. I’d love to see Christian get a lengthy championship reign, but that possibility is somewhat in doubt now that Randy Orton has moved to Smackdown. Christian will never be as big a star as Orton (as least in the mind of WWE management), and so Orton will inevitably ascend to the top of the card sooner or later. However, I’m guessing that Christian will hold on to the belt for at least a few months before Orton takes his shot at SummerSlam.
Bramma: This was the make or break match of the show for me and it came through big time. The WWE has almost always delivered on ladder matches and this was no exception. After the feeling out portion, things really kicked into gear when Christian jumped off the top rope to avoid Del Rio and landed on a nearby ladder and THEN gave him a splash off the top. Del Rio took the bump through the ladder off the top attempting a guillotine leg drop like a MAN. I really thought that was the finish but Brodus interfered and got the crowd even more riled up only for Edge to come out in a car honking the horn to distract all the heels. That allowed Christian to make the climb with his best friend at ringside cheering him on to his first world championship in the WWE. Also, big points to the fan in the front row with the “Christian, Christian, At Last You’re World Champion” sign.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ****¼
Bramma: ****
Average Match Rating: ****¼

Lumberjack Tag Team Match for the WWE Tag Team Championship
The Big Show & Kane (Champions) vs. Wade Barrett & Ezekiel Jackson
Match Result: The Big Show defeats Wade Barrett with the Choke Slam.
Match Length: 4:13
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: Impromptu match? Check. Crappy match? Check. Complete waste of time? Check. Pissing on the already worthless WWE Tag Team Championships? Check. Absolutely nothing that couldn’t have been accomplished on Smackdown? Check. Yep, this was a big pile of suck. The tension between Barrett and Jackson teased the implosion of the Corre, and honestly at this point it might be best for those guys to head out on their own. Wade Barrett will be a singles star when he’s not bogged down by Nexus / Corre business, and Slater & Gabriel could be a fine tag team if anyone in this promotion gave a damn about tag team wrestling. Ezekiel Jackson has always done better when he’s been part of a stable or at least had a mentor / employer, so he’s probably in the most precarious situation if the Corre disbands.
Bramma: This match lasted all of a few minutes and allowed the faces to hit their moves, but just goes to show how little they care about the tag belts or the Corre as a stable.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ½*
Bramma: ½*
Average Match Rating: ½*

Triple Threat Steel Cage Match for the WWE Championship
The Miz (Champion) vs. John Cena vs. John Morrison
Match Result: John Cena defeats the Miz with a super Attitude Adjustment from the top rope.
Match Length: 19:52
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: This was a hella fun match that saw Miz, Cena, and Morrison bump off of every part of the cage in damn near every way imaginable. Morrison’s physical prowess continues to impress, and Miz proved that he is TOUGH AS NAILS after taking that incredibly nasty superplex spot and getting right back up to continue the match. R-Truth’s interference made complete sense in light of the way that John Morrison inserted himself into this match, and it looks like we’ll be seeing a real one-on-one feud between Morrison and Truth in the coming weeks and months. People have already been bitching and moaning about Cena regaining the WWE Championship, but let’s all take a deep breath and relax for a minute. It’s been almost a year since Cena held the title, and we all knew he would regain it eventually. Miz was given a remarkably lengthy freshman title reign, he defeated John F’N Superman Cena in the main event of WrestleMania, and he will almost certainly invoke his rematch clause to continue his feud with Cena for at least another month.
Bramma: This was better and longer than I was expecting. Because the cage didn’t allow for the normal triple threat formula of a guy resting on the outside while the other two work a regular match, I was pleasantly surprised that the third participant (normally Morrison) would consistently tease climbs over the top and this added an extra layer of drama to the match. Also, Morrison’s athleticism made him the prime candidate for this spot because he could get up and down the cage very quickly and easily. Miz got folded up pretty bad on what ended up being a brainbuster off the top and might have given him another concussion. I loved the spot where Morrison got crotched on the cage door. Still, he managed to come back and look like he was going to win only for Truth to come out and take him out in interference that still keeps Morrison strong. Cena’s win was fairly predictable but where do they go from here? Rematch with Miz? Orton? Rock? Pre-match, Miz had a promo backstage that seems to be setting up a potential face turn and feud with Alex Riley, but who knows.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ****
Bramma: ***
Average Match Rating: ***½

Final Thoughts

Match of the Night:
Slimmer: Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio (****¼)
Good ladder match with a finish that we’ve been waiting years to see. There were several good-to-great matches on the card tonight, but this was the only true MOMENT.
Bramma: Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio (****)
This was head and shoulders above the rest of the card and gave long time Edge and Christian fans a feel good moment that will be remembered long after the rest of the card is forgotten.

Trash of the Night:
Slimmer: The Big Show & Kane vs. Wade Barrett & Ezekiel Jackson (½*)
This was suck. On every level possible. Seriously, it was worse than a match with three announcers. Just think about that.
Bramma: Jerry “The King” Lawler & Jim Ross vs. Michael Cole & Jack Swagger (DUD)
Hopefully, they end this debacle next month in a Mohammed Hassan-style erasure from kayfabe existence. I like Cole as a mouthpiece for Swagger and general asshole on commentary but keep him away from the ring.

Final Analysis:
Slimmer: Let’s begin by just looking at the numbers. There were 6 matches announced for the show 2 two impromptu matches added along the way. Of those 8 matches, 3 were **** or better and 2 more were *** or better. The final 3 matches all fell well below **, but what else can you expect from an announcers match, a Divas match, and a tag team championship match (at least in WWE). The point is that having more than half of the matches on the card well above *** and almost half the matches on the card at **** or better is an amazing percentage by WWE standards. On top off that, we had 3 title changes, 1 long-awaited and rather impressive debut, and the kind of cathartic victory that reminds you why you’re a fan of professional wrestling. This may not be the overall PPV of the year at this point, but it is most certainly the WWE PPV of the year.
Bramma: I wasn’t expecting a lot going in but was pleasantly surprised. Punk/Orton was much better than their boring WrestleMania match, Cena/Miz/Morrison had good solid match in an unusual stipulation mish mash, and Christian/Del Rio is worth hunting down, especially if you’re a fan of Christian.

Verdict:
Slimmer: ***¾
Bramma: ***
Average Verdict: ***½